chester coggins



0. c. ooeems.

CARRIAGE TOP.

(No Model.)

No. 337,926. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

Fig.3

WITNESSES ATTORNEY N. PETERS Pnommna m mr. Waihinglom n. c.

Ntrnn Starts tries.

arnnr O. CHESTER COGGINS, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO C. PIERPONT & (10., OF SAME PLACE.

CARRIAGE- T0 P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,926, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed December 528, 1855. Serial No. 186,950.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, 0. Gnnsrnn Coeems, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in carriage-tops, and has for its object to provide a simple hinge or coupling adapted to allow the top to be readily raised, lowered, or detached from the vehicle.

The invention consists in the novel construction of the iron seat or standard which supports the top, as hereinafter more fully de scribed and clai1ned.-

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a carriage-topembodyingmyimprovements. Fig. 2shows different views of the bow-plate. Fig.

3 is a side view of the seat-iron, showing the outer or opposite side to thatshown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 shows a modification.

Referring to the drawings, Adesignates one of the seat-irons, which is adapted for being bolted to the left end of a wagon or vehicle seat opposite to a similar iron fastened to the right side of the seat. A vertical slot, 1), is formed near the center of the seatirou, and is joined at its upper end withahorizontal notch or slot, 0, which extends to the forward edge of the iron. Above the slot 1), and in line therewith, is a vertical notch or slot, 6, in the upper part of the iron. The rear side of the seat-iron is formed with acurved edge, (1, com centric with the upper part of the slot 11, and extending from the rear edge of the slot e throughaboutaquarter-circle. Aprojection, i, is formed on the outer side of the iron at the lower extremity of the curved edge (I, and the upper forward part of theiron projects above the upper extremity of the curved edge, as shown.

A metal plate, h, Fig. 2, is bolted orsecured upon each end of the principal or central bow, Z, in the carriage-top. A pair of pins or projections, m m, are arranged on the lower part of the bow-plate at the same distance apart as the distance from the slot b to the curved edge d, and fit the slots b and 0. Heads are formed (No model.)

on the pins to hold the plateinthe slots in the scat-iron, and suitable lugs, 11., on the sides of the plates form a support or hinge for the auxiliary bows n a. The metal plates h are secured on the outer side of the central bow, Z, and they are preferably placed on the outside of the seat-irons.

In operation the top is supported in a vertical position, with the pins m m resting at the bottom of the slots b c, as shown in Fig. 1.

To lower the top, the bow is raised until the lower projections, m, are at the top of the slot 1), when the upper projections, on, will be coincident with the curved edge d, and the top may be swung over backward until the bowplate rests on the projection t, as shown in Fig. 3 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

\Vheu it is desired to remove the top from the vehicle, the bow may be raised to its highest point, and then the bottom pins, m, may be swung forward through the horizontal slots or notches 0, thus disengaging the top from the seat-iron.

As the upper forward part of the seat-iron is higher than the rear part of the same, the top can never fall forward.

It will be seen that the top cannot be accidentally removed from the wagon by agust of wind or other cause, because it cannot be raised out of the slots by a vertical movement alone.

In Fig. 4cisshown a modification of the seatiron,which has a vertical slot, 1', and is adapted to support the top both in a raised and lowered position; but in such construction the top may be lifted out of the seat-iron by the wind and blown away.

It is evident that the projection i may project radially from the curved edge, instead of laterally therefrom.

\Vhen a carriage-top is provided with this improved hinge or coupling, it may be easily attached to or detached from the wagon or other vehicle without the use of a wrench or the removal of any bolts or nuts.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In the seat-iron of ahinge or coupling for carriage-tops, a vertical slot, 12, joined at its upper end to a horizontal slot or notch, 0, ex-

tending to the forward edge of the iron, and a vertical notch or slot, 6, over the central slot, extending to the upper edge of the iron, as and for the purpose specified.

2.' In a hinge or coupling for-carriage-tops, the combination, with a seat-iron having the slots 6 c e, curved surface d, and projection z, of the bow-plate h, provided with twoprojections or pins, m m, adapted to fit the slots in the seat-iron, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. In a hinge 0r coupling for carriage-tops, a bow-plate, h, having two pins orprojeotions, m m, arranged with a space between them equal to or slightly exceeding the distance from the curved edge 01 to the upper end of the slot b, substantially as described.

0. CHESTER OOGGINS.

Witnesses:

JULIUs TWIss, HOWARD B. Soon. 

